It’s not every day you decide to dig a hole in your back garden and install a swimming pool, but it may be easier than you think!
Reduce heat loss through the walls and floor of your pool with some affordable swimming pool insulation foam boards.
Understandably, most people’s concept of a swimming pool is a fully tiled concrete pool, when they get a price they would think “horrific cost”. They would be right! An average cost of a concrete pool starts from £50,000.00 for 30′ x 15′ pool size and takes on average 8-10 weeks to build.
One of the great advantages of installing a liner type pool construction is that in approximately 7-10 years, the liner will have to be replaced. This is a very simple and straight forward procedure and at a present-day costs, a replacement liner for a 30 x 15′ pool would cost £2150 inc. VAT. Remember, the liner is the finished cosmetic look of the pool, so every 7-10 years it will look like a brand new installation!
It is also possible to raise the pool above ground level by as much as 18″ using the soil to build a patio around it, finished with either a retaining wall or gradually sloping turf. This may be done to save on the cost of earth removal and the time and effort involved in excavation, especially when hand digging is involved.
Professional DIY Pool Kits
Kafko Professional Pool Kits have been designed for the experienced pool builder in mind. Consisting of ‘X-treme Polymer Panels and Polymer or Steel Bracing these pools typically have a shallow and deep end pool depth configuration.
Kafko Professional ‘X- treme’ Polymer pool panel sets are available in 4ft (1.22m) or 5ft (1.5m) depths with polymer bracing at 4ft increments. All panels prior to delivery, are pre-cut at our warehouse using a custom made jig to enable Skimmer(s), Light fitting(s) etc to be installed accurately and with ease. Colours may vary.
DIY Kafko Pool Installation video
The DIY kits have 2 options, 4ft depth & 5ft depth
Alternative 4′ Pool Depth
Excavation:- Dig dimensions to standard pool depth
| Pool Size | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12′ x 20′ | 12′ | 20′ | 4’21/2′ |
| 12′ x 24′ | 12′ | 24′ | 4’21/2′ |
| 12″ x 28″ | 12′ | 28′ | 4’21/2′ |
| 14′ x 30′ | 14′ | 30′ | 4’21/2′ |
Alternative 5′ Pool Depth
An optional 5′ pool depth is also available at no extra cost. The same liner that is used for a 4′ depth pool can also be used for a 5′ depth pool. The liner material is expandable and will stretch into position as long as the excavation is carried out to the dimensions carried out below.
| Pool Size | C | D | E | F | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12′ x 20′ | 4’21/2′ | 14′ | 3’6″ | 5′ | 5’41/2″ |
| 12′ x 24′ | 4’21/2′ | 18′ | 3’6″ | 5′ | 5’41/2″ |
| 12″ x 28″ | 4’21/2′ | 22′ | 3’6″ | 5′ | 5’41/2″ |
| 14′ x 30′ | 4’21/2′ | 24′ | 3’6″ | 7′ | 5’41/2″ |
Note: Please make sure your dealer is aware of your intentions to increase the depth of the pool as this may alter plumbing configuration and heater sizing that is required for your pool
Items included
- Polymer Panel (s)
- Polymer Bracing
- Corner Post
- Hardware
- Steel Pins
- 6″ Radius Corner Inserts
Option
- 2ft Radius Corner
Tips for building a DIY Swimming Pool
- Budget for add-ons. Whilst the DIY pool kit provides you with the basic parts to build your pool, you may wish to budget for add-ons such as outdoor lighting, safety fencing, swimming pool covers or additional landscaping.
- Consider your location carefully. Once installed, the pool will not be able to be moved unless at a very high cost. Draw a scale plan of your garden and ensure you have the right space before building. Keep away from trees or shaded areas and make sure no electric cables, water or gas pipes run through the proposed site.
- Tools for the job. You will require an extensive amount of tools to complete the task, including specialist equipment such as an industrial vacuum cleaner and angle grinder.
- Manpower. If you are planning on building the pool without any heavy machinery then you’ll likely need the help of a team of people to assist with the initial digging.
- Time. Ensure that you’ve blocked out enough spare time to complete this project, as once you start you’ll want to ensure that each task is completed within quick succession of one another.
- Materials. On top of the initial DIY pool kit, you will also require standard building materials including soft sand, ballast, cement and 40mm shingle. Make sure you have all of these materials to hand before starting the build.
- Get help if needed. If you aren’t confident with a certain aspect of the process then seek help for those parts. You may be able to excavate and level the hole to your satisfaction, but might not be able to execute the plumbing. Hire someone to help rather than sacrifice quality.
Do I need planning permission for a DIY Swimming Pool?
In most cases, you do not need planning permission to build a DIY swimming pool. However, you may need to contact your planning office if you are living in:
- an area of outstanding natural beauty
- conservation area
- green belt
- a listed building
How long does it take to get council approval for a pool?
Approval from a council for your pool build, should you need it, could be expected to be delivered between 8 and 16 weeks, depending on the circumstances. Planning authorities are duty-bound to make decisions on applications quickly, and as such, there is a statutory determination period of 8 weeks for ‘straight forward planning applications’. In cases where an Environmental Impact Assessment is needed, this period is extended to 16 weeks.
How do you heat a DIY swimming pool?
DIY swimming pools can be heated using a range of products, including swimming pool heat pumps, solar panel heating kits and sun domes. Each has its own set of advantages and drawbacks, depending on your budget and the size of the pool.
How much does a DIY swimming pool cost?
DIY swimming pools cost between £6009.00 and £11,805.00, depending on the size kit and additional items you choose.
| Pool Size | 24 x 12 | 28 x 14 | 30 x 14 | 30 x 15 | 32 x 16 | 33 x 16 | 36 x 18 | 40 x 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panel Set | 4′ | 4′ | 4′ | 4′ | 4′ | 4′ | 4′ | 4′ |
| Price | £7,141.00 | £8,661.00 | £9340.00 | £9,599.00 | £9,582.00 | £10,203.00 | £11,101.00 | £12,022.00 |
| Panel Set | 5′ | 5′ | 5′ | 5′ | 5′ | 5′ | 5′ | 5′ |
| Price | £8,778.00 | £10,663.00 | £11,517.00 | £11,834.00 | £11,780.00 | £12,560.00 | £13,665.00 | £14,872.00 |
| Inlet(s) Pre-fitted | £61.60 | £61.60 | £61.60 | £61.60 | £61.60 | £61.60 | £61.60 | £61.60 |
| Skimmer(s) Pre-fitted | £237.00 | £237.00 | £237.00 | £237.00 | £237.00 | £237.00 | £237.00 | £237.00 |
| 6″Radius Corner Insert for 4′ Panels (set 4) | £294.00 | |||||||
| 6″Radius Corner Insert for 5′ Panels (set 4) | £610.00 |
All prices exclude VAT and delivery.
X-treme panels have a much stronger internal rib support and can be used in conjunction with XPS extruded polystyrene. This swimming pool insulation panel system is ideal for installations that have to be Part L compliant.
If you’re willing to spend more, then you may be interested in taking a look at our selection of Luxe fiberglass pools.
